"The Montreal duo Menace Ruine release their fourth opus on Aurora Borealis. Entitled Union of Irreconcilables, the album builds on their previous great work, the alchemical collision of black metal, walls of noise, mysticism, martial rhythms, and a medieval affinity for melody leaving the listener with a sense of unforgettable originality. Begun in 2006, Menace Ruine have always followed their own path, combining unusual elements and vocal styles in an effort to capture their unique musical vision. The evolution of the band's style and sound has been a constant throughout their three previous releases, including 2008's The Die is Cast (Alien8) with Geneviève's powerful vocal performance coming to the fore."

"In 2007, we announced the birth of this fantastic new band from Montreal. Menace Ruine came out of nowhere with a debut release that fused black metal and noise to astonishing results. Only eight months later, here they are with the follow-up to their debut Cult of Ruins and a drastic change in sound. The Die Is Cast sees the duo eschewing the howling vocals and blast beats and replacing them with majestic songs based around the vocal style of Genviève and the anthemic medieval music that bares much more resemblance to neo-folk than black metal. The band's sound is far more approachable this time around, yet remains challenging at the same time. Somber tunes propelled by slow-paced martial percussion, ambient electronics and droning feedback are carried by an incredibly powerful vocal performance by Geneviève. Menace Ruine set out to make a concept record based around medieval music, without sacrificing their intensity and they have managed to do so gloriously. With the current wave in the popularity of black metal, it seems some of the more fringe genres such as neo-folk are also gaining more notoriety. Recently, American black metal bands such as Leviathan and Nachtmystium have paid tribute to Death in June by covering a couple of their martial anthems on recent outings. Menace Ruine have taken that one step further by doing an entire recording in that vein. Folks familiar with Menace Ruine will be surprised when they hear The Die Is Cast, but will still be able to connect to the band."

"Hailing from the frozen north of the province of Québec comes the duo cloaked in mystery, simply known as Menace Ruine. Since the release of their blazing self-produced demo, In Vulva Infernum, they have allowed themselves to perform live and over the course of the last year have quickly risen to the top of the food chain in Montreal. At Alien8 Recordings, we have flirted with the outer circles of metal through our three releases from Nadja and now, with Montreal's Menace Ruine, we dive further into its darkened depths. On Cult of Ruins one is subjected to a blend of super-intense sound layered with horrific howls and relentless blast beats, only to then be confronted with a melodic and haunting ambient approach that still retains immense power. In this respect, Menace Ruine bare some resemblance to the mysterious French post-black metal horde, Deathspell Omega who have become famous for juxtaposing ambient music with absolutely crushing metal. Standout cuts on the Cult of Ruins include 'Dove Instinct,' which opens up with a beautifully haunting intro constructed with the use of controlled feedback that would not appear out of place on a recording from fellow Canadians, Nadja. Eventually the noise subsides and gives way to a wave of ambient brutality that is both ear-rattling and pretty at the same time. The album's second song, 'Sky as a Reversed Abyss,' opens on the ambient tip and moves at a much slower pace than much of the recording, serving mainly to build on the band's mystical feel before dissolving into the breakneck pace of 'Kill the Egregore.' 'Bonded By Wyrd' is an absolute standout track that is spearheaded by an incredibly catchy riff, backed with droning melodic vocals. An occult vibe runs through most of the album, but it is particularly felt on this cut. This song is the band's current live hit and for good reason, as it seems to empower the listener."